According to Article 2 of the United States Constitution, when the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall succeed to the powers and duties of the office. Upon receiving the news of President Roosevelt's death on the afternoon of August 12, 1943, the leaders of both houses of Congress immediately contacted Vice President Wallace, who was preparing to rush back to Washington. After a brief exchange of telegrams, it was confirmed that the "temporarily surviving" Vice President Wallace would take over as President.

Wallace needed to return to the capital immediately to formally take the oath of office before the congressional leaders, key cabinet members, and a representative of the Supreme Court.

Despite his narrow escape from the bombing, Wallace chose to return to Washington by air. On the plane, the corners of his mouth occasionally lifted in a faint smile, only to droop again a moment later, his expression turning somber.

Becoming the President of the United States was naturally cause for joy, but Henry Agard Wallace also held some affection for Roosevelt and felt sincere regret that he had passed at only 61. Most of all, Roosevelt had simply died and dumped such a monumental mess into Wallace's lap. Thinking of the current situation gave the President-to-be a massive headache.

At 7:00 AM on August 13th, Wallace boarded a plane at a military airfield. In Washington, the top elite were in a state of high anxiety. The Chinese raid on the Oak Ridge base in Tennessee had not yet been disclosed to the public, who still felt relatively safe. However, the high-ranking officials were terrified by the Chinese Air Force's sharp and ruthless targeted elimination.

At 11:00 AM, President Wallace's plane landed at a heavily guarded Washington airport. Stepping out of the hatch, he saw only the solitary figure of Secretary of State Hull waiting to receive him. FBI agents quickly shielded Wallace and ushered him off the plane. It was only after they entered the fortified airport building that they found the leaders of the House and Senate and a representative of the Chief Justice waiting.

Handshakes and greetings were exchanged. The Chief Justice's representative whispered to Wallace: "President Roosevelt's casket will arrive soon. I personally suggest you take the oath before it."

Wallace felt a pang of displeasure at the suggestion. But the Chief Justice's idea had merit, so he said nothing. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long; the plane carrying Roosevelt's remains arrived within the hour.

Inside the cleared airport building, the upper door of the casket was opened, revealing a groomed Roosevelt. It had to be said that the cerebral hemorrhage had taken a heavy toll; even with the best embalming, those familiar with the President could see the torment he had endured before death.

Once the identity of the remains was confirmed, the inauguration ceremony began. Under the U.S. system of separation of powers, with representatives from the legislative, judicial, and executive branches as witnesses, Vice President Henry Agard Wallace placed his hand on the Bible and solemnly swore the oath to become the 33rd President of the United States.

Although the number of reporters present was small, they represented all the major newspapers. Flashbulbs clicked incessantly and cameras rolled, recording this historic moment.

Immediately upon taking office, President Wallace delivered an inaugural address titled "We Will Fight to the End," and subsequently announced a wake for former President Roosevelt at the White House.

Initially, President Wallace felt this event could be manipulated to unify the fighting spirit of the American public. He appreciated the *Washington Post's* report, which placed Roosevelt at the head of the casualty list, citing his place of death as "The White House."

However, Wallace never expected Eleanor Roosevelt to have an outburst during the wake. It happened with startling speed. Initially, dressed in black mourning clothes, Mrs. Roosevelt had performed with the poise expected of a First Lady.

But after a close friend whispered something to her during a break, Mrs. Roosevelt suddenly burst out, her expression turning fierce. Approaching Wallace, she asked coldly: "Who was with the President when he died?"

Wallace was taken aback. When Roosevelt had gone on vacation, Wallace was being bombed by the Chinese Air Force at Oak Ridge; for Mrs. Roosevelt to question him was absurd. However, he guessed the answer: it must have been Roosevelt's old lover, Lucy Mercer.

Mrs. Roosevelt was clearly on the verge of a breakdown. Seeing Wallace's silence, she took it as an admission and began shouting at him and the congressional leaders: "You dogs! None of you are any good!"

Fortunately, the White House was a place of rules. Seeing things go awry, several high-ranking ladies quickly surrounded Mrs. Roosevelt and escorted her away. Amidst the group, she continued to scream: "I will never forgive you! Never!"

Wallace shook his head helplessly, disapproving of her behavior. If she couldn't satisfy her own husband, she had no business making a scene. It was no wonder Roosevelt's lover hadn't left his side for over twenty years; there was a reason the President had died in her arms.

While indecent, such matters were minor. President Wallace spent some time discussing with the congressional leaders which bills might be prioritized for passage.

Both sides were "old foxes." While each wanted to bait the other into mentioning exiting the war, they were extremely cautious, speaking instead at length about how they would slaughter the Chinese on the battlefield and achieve victory. The fruitless dialogue only ended when the British Ambassador arrived to offer condolences.

Late that night, Wallace convened a cabinet meeting. The contents of the reports submitted by the members were familiar to him, but with his change in status, Wallace soon recovered from the excitement of the presidency to a normal state.

As Vice President, he had had plenty of leisure time to mentally criticize Roosevelt's decisions. Back then, he felt many of Roosevelt's choices had room for discussion. But as President, he immediately realized he was now responsible for his own decisions. And if he couldn't be responsible, he had to find someone who was.

Just before Roosevelt's sudden death, the U.S. military had launched a new round of offensives. Like previous efforts, they were hard-fought but achieved almost nothing. The Chinese military blocked the American advance and simultaneously pushed eastward along the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The CPR spanned from Vancouver in the west to Montreal in the east, with cross-border routes to major U.S. cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York. Since the Chinese had broken the Rocky Mountain line in Canada, their advance across the vast plains was even faster.

When Wallace asked about the latest situation, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Douglas MacArthur, replied coolly: "The British are about to engage the Chinese in a major battle."

Hearing this, Wallace discarded his previously conservative mindset and said: "Provide full support to the British. Let them strike with advantage!"

The cabinet members did not nitpick; they found Wallace's shift from his earlier conservative stance to be a positive development. The U.S.-Canada border was incredibly long. In the mountains, the U.S. had suffered much at the hands of the Chinese. Now, they hoped for a change in the battlefield scenery.

Not only the Army Staff but the cabinet as well felt that the Chinese were skilled at mountain warfare, which was a theater that favored smaller forces. China had demonstrated impressive combat capability in northern Korea as early as 1922; it was only natural that after twenty years of development, their mountain warfare was even more advanced.

Now that the Chinese had pierced the Rockies, the Allies had established multiple layers of defensive positions where the mountains met the Western Canadian plains. MacArthur did not provide a detailed explanation to President Wallace, for Wallace didn't understand military matters; a technical briefing would have been incomprehensible to him.

A shallow, simple introduction carried the risk of Wallace believing he understood, leading to him issuing "clever" but counterproductive orders. After all, when men encounter war, they naturally want to chime in—not because they want to cause trouble, but because they have an innate interest.

Though he offered no further explanation, MacArthur was clear on the operational concept and intended to use a victory in this battle to boost American morale and public spirit.

Wallace did not offer many opinions. Personally, he did not want to continue the war, but the U.S. military had already suffered over five million killed, wounded, or captured. While the Chinese had not invaded the U.S. mainland, and the domestic front was relatively stable, the 22 million men most capable and willing to fight had already been called up. Female soldiers had already begun appearing in the ranks. Although they served only in auxiliary units, it proved that the pool of military-age males was nearing exhaustion. If the war continued, the U.S. might not be able to hold out.

The refugee tide triggered by the destruction of the Western industrial zones proved that the fighting spirit of the average American was not as firm as politicians and newspapers claimed.

Driven by this pressure, President Wallace personally hoped for a major victory to provide America with an honorable exit from the war. Originally, he had hoped to use nuclear weapons as that tool for an honorable withdrawal.

Late that night, after the meeting ended, President Wallace lay down in his bedroom and soon fell into his first sleep as President.

MacArthur, meanwhile, returned to the General Staff and read the operational orders once more.

"...Given the Allied disadvantage in mountainous terrain, the General Staff believes that a heavy blow must be dealt to the Chinese military in the plains, where our combat advantages can be best utilized.

"A Chinese brigade consumes 10 tons of supplies daily. At this stage, China relies entirely on long-distance sea transport for logistics, which inevitably makes their supply situation difficult. If the Chinese currently wish only to use their mountain warfare advantage to gain time, they must eventually attempt a move into the plains.

"Comparison of forces and equipment:

"The Allied forces have deployed 500,000 elite troops in the Western Canadian plains, including 12 U.S. divisions and 8 British divisions...

"Among the British units, two divisions are light rapid mechanized divisions equipped with British cruiser tanks, suitable for long-distance rapid raids.

"Four divisions are equipped with Matilda tanks for trench and mobile warfare.

"Two divisions are fully equipped with American M4 Shermans, possessing powerful firepower, armor, and penetration capability, intended as the main force against Chinese primary armored divisions.

"All 12 U.S. divisions are armored divisions equipped with M4 Shermans.

"Operational Concept:

"Once the campaign begins, the Allied forces will rely on already constructed layers of defense to resist. After delaying and weakening the Chinese army and luring them more than 100 kilometers away from their supply bases at the mountain-plain junction, the Allies will cease their retreat and launch a pincer movement...

"When the Allied Air Force has secured air superiority, the Army will encircle and annihilate the Chinese units far from their supply lines..."

MacArthur did not feel this battle was a guaranteed win; after all, it was far from the time for a decisive blow. It was not even certain if the Chinese would launch a probing attack. But MacArthur believed that with their numerical advantage, the Allied air forces were not currently at a disadvantage. If they wanted to deal China a heavy blow, now was the best opportunity.

In the Chinese capital, He Rui did not show his joy at the Politburo meeting, but he was indeed very happy in his heart. Roosevelt's personal ability had been excellent, and he had demonstrated great skill as a politician when fighting from a position of advantage.

Historically, Roosevelt's concepts of global governance had provided He Rui with much experience, so he did not wish to appear to be gloating. Instead of mockery, he said seriously to the meeting secretary: "Send a message of condolence to the United States in my name, expressing my regards to Mrs. Roosevelt."

The comrades were stunned. While Roosevelt had assisted during the Sino-American reconciliation, the President at the time had been Hoover. After Roosevelt took office, because China and France chose a substantive alliance, Sino-American relations had been average. Such a message might be seen by the Americans as a taunt.

But seeing He Rui's unconcerned manner, the comrades remained silent. They turned their attention to the materials they had just received: data on the new U.S. President, Henry Agard Wallace.

He Rui read along with them: "Henry Agard Wallace, graduate of Iowa State College. Since 1924, an editor and lead writer for agricultural newspapers. Later became an agricultural expert, conducted experiments on high-yield corn varieties, achieving major breakthroughs in plant genetics. Later entered the hybrid corn business, earning significant profits.

"Joined the Democratic Party in 1928. Served as Secretary of Agriculture from 1933 to 1940, participating in the implementation of New Deal laws, especially the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, to raise and stabilize farm prices, protect soil, build reserves, and control production..."

At this point, He Rui couldn't help but laugh. "So, he is another 'Sui Zong'."

Sitting beside him, Li Runshi heard the term "Sui Zong" and asked: "How are those characters written?"

He Rui took up a pen and wrote the two characters. Li Runshi, himself famous for his literary skill, looked at them and gave a chuckle. For in the records, a colleague had once described Henry Wallace: "He always responds to calls his fellow men cannot hear." Wallace truly felt a mission calling him: this son of a former Secretary of Agriculture born in Iowa said his greatest wish was "to make the world safe for corn growers."

With such a personality and his deep affection for corn, calling him "Sui Zong" (Ancestor of the Ears/Grain) was not misplaced.

Wallace's path in politics had not been smooth; he was not a career politician, leading to strong opposition to his election within the Democratic Party, but Roosevelt had strongly supported him for Vice President in 1941.

During his vice presidency, Wallace had shown a strong desire for U.S.-Soviet cooperation, to the point of being attacked by the staunchly anti-communist Senator Truman as a "Stalinist lackey."

Had it not been for Roosevelt's sudden death, Wallace could never have succeeded to the presidency.

Li Runshi replied: "This man clearly cannot master real power."

Premier Wu Youping added: "Wallace cannot unify the Roosevelt cabinet. In the 1944 election, he likely won't even secure the nomination."

With these assessments from Li Runshi and Wu Youping, the Politburo members were unwilling to offer further opinions. After reviewing the materials, they didn't dislike this "Sui Zong." But they were all experienced politicians; Wallace's resume would qualify him, at most, as the head of a municipal grain bureau in China. With a bit of luck, he might reach the deputy-director level in a provincial grain department. That was Wallace's limit in China. Such a man was not worth much discussion.

He Rui had no particular impression of Wallace and naturally shared his colleagues' view. But he posed a question: "If the U.S. elite are unwilling to take the blame, will Wallace become the one who steps out to carry the responsibility? After all, there are still fifteen months until the 1944 election."

U.S. elections happened every four years, regardless of how chaotic the world was. Generally, they took place in mid-November. The 1944 election would be around November 17th, with the inauguration in early 1945. Even if Wallace didn't pass the primary, he would make an excellent "scapegoat" (背锅侠).

Hearing He Rui's view, the Politburo remained silent. Since their youth, they had never seen a scapegoat within the Chinese leadership. As for the messes they encountered after taking leadership roles, those were at a much lower level. Their experience was insufficient to understand how to be a U.S. presidential-level scapegoat.

He Rui was just speaking from sentiment. If the current Vice President were Truman, He Rui would have no misunderstanding of his decisions. Finally, He Rui stated they should just observe. This reasonable view met with unanimous agreement.

Before the comrades could fully relax, He Rui announced the CMC's decision: "Our forces will launch a probing offensive in Canada... on the territory of the People's Republic of North America, to determine if our combat power can achieve a large-scale campaign in the plains."

The comrades were surprised to hear He Rui speak so vaguely of war. He continued: "Our enemy will surely be well-prepared there, intending to deal us a staggering blow. If the U.S. military commits all its elite units to the potential battle, I do not guarantee our victory.

"However, this battle must be fought. Only after fighting can we determine the core combat power of the U.S. military. If their power is average, our subsequent war progress will undergo a massive change."

At this, the comrades relaxed. The battle He Rui described didn't sound dangerous; at least now, having fully considered the risks, there was no possibility of a cautious commander like Marshal Hu Xiushan "hitting his head against a wall."

However, He Rui's tone grew heavier. "The most important thing for this campaign! Before winter, our forces must seize stable launch bases capable of conducting missile attacks on the U.S. Great Lakes region. If we want the U.S. to exit the war, the five major industrial zones must be destroyed!"

At these words, all the comrades involved in economic work were invigorated. They knew He Rui was right, but they had never imagined how the Great Lakes industrial heartland could be destroyed. Now, the possibility had finally appeared. Even if it meant taking a risk, it was not unacceptable. 州。